Fall 2018
Tues/Thurs 11-12:20
CPMC 127
ndiels(at)ucsd(dot)edu
This is a course covering significant milestones in the development of electronic music through lectures and listening sessions. Each week's topic is addressed on both experimental and mainstream grounds. There are two in-class tests, a final exam, and three one-page writing assignments; more details about assignments will be given in class. Listening assignments are linked here. Assignments and tests count 15% each toward your grade; the final counts 25%. Grades are posted through TritonED (http://ted.ucsd.edu).
Syllabus
Week 0: Sept 27
Intro
Week 1: Oct 2/4
Instruments for Electronic Music
Week 2: Oct 9/11
NO CLASS OCTOBER 9
Radio/DJ (Paper 1 due Oct 18)
Week 3: Oct 16/18
Pedals, Amplification/Microsound. Special Guest Oct 18: Miller Puckette
Week 4: Oct 23/25
Special topics: Intro to Film Music/Voice as Instrument
Week 5: Oct 30/Nov 1
Special guest: Chris Wood on Detroit Techno||Test review
Week 6: Nov 6/8
Test||Drone (Test 1 Nov 6, Paper 2 due Nov 13)
Week 7: Nov 13/15
Ambient||Sampling 1
Week 8: Nov 20/[THANKSGIVING]
Sampling 2
Week 9: Nov 27/29
Test review||Test (Test 2 Nov 29, Paper 3 due Nov 29)
Week 10: Dec 4/6
Noise/Glitch||Final exam Review
Paper 1 Topic, due Oct 18
Choose two sound selections from the first two weeks of class, one from the experimental column and one from the mainstream column. Using the tools we learned in Class 0, analyze the tracks using objective and subjective language. Refer to the 'Methods of Listening' worksheet for help. The paper should be two pages double-spaced 12pt font in length, one page for each selection.
Paper 2 Topic, due Nov 13
Imagine the transformation of a single electronic element in any one piece from the first 5 weeks of class. Discuss the electronic element you are changing, what you are changing it to, and how this will affect the track. Use language from our methods of listening worksheet to analyze your new imaginary track.
Limit your response to 500 words.
Paper 3 Topic, due Nov 29
Throughout the quarter, several topics have come up in multiple classes. Please choose one of these topics and write two pages describing the two (or more) different ways this topic has come up. For example, the DJ John Peel came up in our class about Radio/DJs as the first DJ who wanted to play independent music, and resurfaced again in our class about ambient music as the music journalist who coined the term 'krautrock.' Another example is the Moog synthesizer, which has come up in multiple classes.
Test 1 Study Guide
Test 2 Study Guide
Final Exam Study Guide
Week 0: Intro
Methods for Listening
Methods for Listening (from class)
Experimental::
Conlon Nancarrow: Player Piano Study no. 40 (1969-77)
Maryanne Amacher: Head Rhythm 1 and Plaything 2 (1999)
Pauline Oliveros: The difference between hearing and listening
Sachiko M, Toshimaru Nakamura, and Otomo Yoshihide: Good Morning, Good Night (2004)
Lear: Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster, Panaiotis: Deep Listening (1989)
Mainstream::
Björk: Medúlla (2004)
Kraftwerk: We are the Robots (1979)
Autechre: EP7 (1999)
R We Who Are We: R We Who Are We (2014)
Week 1: Electronic Instruments
Experimental::
Thaddeus Cahill:Telharmonium (1897)
Optophonic Piano: Vladimir Rossiné (1916)
Theremin: Léon Theremin (1919(
Clara Rockmore
Matryomin ensemble 'Da'
Rhythmicon: Léon Theremin/Henry Cowell (1930)
Oramics: Daphne Oram (1957)
RCA Mark 2: Vladimir Ussachevsky/Otto Luening (1957)
First computer to sing: Max Matthews/John Kelly/Carol Lockbaum (1961)
Mini MIDI Mixtape: Parlour Tapes+
Voyager: George Lewis (1984-86)
Percussion + Guitar : Bryan Jacobs
Mainstream::
Theremin:
Erykah Badu: Incense , Live
The Beach Boys (not a theremin)
Rhythmicon:
Organelle Rhythmicon
Ondes Martenot: Radiohead
Modern version: Seaboard
Moog:
Wendy Carlos: Switched on Bach (1968)
Buchla:
Suzanne Ciani: GE dishwasher commercial, Coca-cola Pop & Pour
Album
Minimoog: Kraftwerk Autobahn
Bana Haffar: Modular synth
Vocoder:
Demo
Wendy Carlos: A Clockwork Orange Soundtrack (March)
Stevie Wonder: Race babbling
Herbie Hancock: Tell everybody
Daft Punk: Get Lucky
Roland TR-808:
Online version
Marvin Gaye: Sexual Healing
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Kanye West: 808s & Heartbreak
Links for sections
How the telharmonium works
Modern take on telharmonium
Theremin:
how it works
Rolling Stones [Mainstream]
Daphne Oram/Oramics:
album [Experimental]
Bryan Jacobs:
Noonah with Balloon and Air Compressor [Experimental]
Week 2: Radio/DJ
Important DJs [Mainstream]:
Charles 'Doc' Herrold
Dr. Elman B Meyers/Sybil True
Martin Block::
Make Believe Ballroom
Al Benson
Alan 'Moondog' Freed:: The Alan Freed Story
Jocko Henderson
John Peel
Tom Donahue
Radio art [Experimental]:
Vladimir Ussachevsky Wireless Fantasy
John Cage Radio Music
Wave Farm: Center for artists experimenting with broadcast media and the airwaves
Devil’s Music: Nicolas Collins
description of piece
audio of piece
AM_on_FM/sine_wave: Ida Hirsenfelder
description of piece
audio of piece
Week 3: Amplification/Effects
Amplification:
Mainstream:
Bing Crosby (first to use live amplification for vocals)
Learn to Croon
Björk Medulla
Experimental:
David Behrman Wavetrain
Steve Reich Pendulum Music
Distortion Mainstream:
Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston (1951): Rocket 88
Howlin' Wolf: Moanin' at Midnight
The Johnny Burnett Trio: Lonesome Train (NO distortion, and introduced by Alan Freed!)
The Johnny Burnett Trio: Train Kept a Rollin' (YA distortion)
Link Wray: Rumble
Marty Robbins (1961): Don't Worry (bass guitar distortion, led to pedal!)
The Rolling Stones: Satisfaction (for making guitar distortion famous)
Jimi Hendrix: Are you Experienced
Please find the below links here
Robert Johnson: Crossroads Blues
Cream: Crossroads Blues [live recording]
Radiohead: There There [guitar bend trick in intro]
Experimental:
The Books: The Animated Description of Mr Maps
Delay Mainstream:
[Tape Delay] Elvis Presley (1954): That's Alright (Mama)
[Flanging] The Beatles: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
[Chorus (+ fun synthy Distortion)] Beyonce: Radio
Please find the below examples here
The Edge: It Might Get Loud [movie segment, shows his rig]
Queen: Brighton Rock [starting 3:10]
Experimental:
[Delay time gradually shortens from beginning to end] Georg Friedrich Haas: Ein Schattenspiel
[Flanging + Chorus] Marnie Stern: Ruler
[Chorus/Flanging/Comb Filter + Delay (@ 3:05/5:47) + VOCODER! throughout] Laurie Anderson: Oh Superman
Other effects
Please find the below examples here
WahWah
Hendrix: Fire [live at Woodstock-- wahwah through feedback]
Third Eye Blind: Jumper
Mu-tron: Envelope-controlled filtering
Zappa: Stinkfoot [guitar solo 2:12]
Edie Brickell: What I am [guitar solo 2:00]
Primus: Trouble [all through it]
Tape-based Octave-Doubler
Hendrix: hendrix-purple-album.mkv 1:10
Double-tracking
Vocals-- Crosby Stills Nash & Young: Our House
Guitar and vocals— Marnie Stern: Ruler
(also shortening delay times in intro and chorus effect)
Panning
Mainstream
Kraftwerk: The Robots
Donna Summer: I Feel Love
[echo effect in synth, panned hard left/right dry sound/echoed sound (wet)]
Experimental:
Justin C. Meyers: Struggle Artist
Misc
Example of using material to create an effect [tape dissolves over time]
William Basinski: The Disintegration Loops
Week 5: Techno
Kraftwerk: Autobahn
Kraftwerk: Robots
Donna Summer: I Feel Love
Parliament: Flashlight
Yellow Magic Orchestra: Firecracker
Cybotron: Alleys of Your Mind
Kraftwerk: Numbers
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force: Planet Rock
Cybotron: Clear
Model 500: No UFO's
X-RAY: Let's Go
Jago: I'm Going to Go (Frankie Knuckles Remix)
Adonis: No Way Back
Phuture: Acid Trax
Humanoid: Stakker Humanoid
The Prodigy: Everybody in the Place
Underground Resistance: Big Stone Lake
Underground Resistance: The Theory
Underground Resistance: Hi-Tech Jazz
Robert Hood: Unix
Jeff Mills: Phase 4
Octave One: I Believe
Drexciya: Depressurization
Drexciya: The Quest (album)
Week 6: Drone/Ambient
DRONE
Moondog: Invocation
Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians
Philip Glass: Music in contrary motion
Terry Riley: A Rainbow in Curved Air
La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela: Dreamhouse
Éliane Radigue: Vice Versa Etc.
Éliane Radigue: Trilogie de la Mort: Kyema
Phill Niblock: Touch Three: Parker’s Altered Mood aka Ode to Bird
Éliane Radigue: Songs of Milarepa (with Robert Ashley and Lama Kunga Rinpoche)
AMBIENT
Popul Vuh: Affenstünde
Tangerine Dream: Zeit
Isao Tomita: Snowflakes Are Dancing: Reverie
Brian Eno: Discreet Music
Brian Eno: Music for Airports (Ambient 1)
Laraaji: Celestrana
Suzanne Ciani: Seven Waves: Fifth Wave
Aphex Twin: Ambient Works 1985-92
Silent Records: Lingua Lustra
Week 7: Sampling
Experimental (mostly)
Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome 1924 (recorded nightingales)
Carter Family: Can't Feel at Home
Woody Guthrie: I Ain't Got No Home In This World 1938
Halim El-Dabh: The Expression of Zaar 1944
Pierre Schaeffer: Étude Pathetique1948
John Cage: Williams Mix (original 1951-53, Remix by Tom Erbe)
Bill Buchanan & Dickie Goodman: The Flying Saucer 1955
James Tenney: Collage #1 (Blue Suede) 1961
John Oswald: Plunderphonics 1989
Paul Lansky: Mild Und Leise || Radiohead: Idioteque
Dave Broome: Ominousty
Mainstream (mostly)
The Jubalaires: Preacher and the Bear (1941)
Sugarhill Gang: Rapper's Delight (1979)
Chic: Good Times (1979)
James Brown: Funky Drummer (Clyde Stubblefield) 1970
Incredible Bongo Band: Apache 1970s
Kool DJ Herc demos Merry-go-round technique
Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force: Planet Rock 1982
Kraftwerk: Numbers
Kraftwerk: Trans-Europe Express
Babe Ruth: The Mexican
Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back: Bring the Noise 1988
Samples from Bring the Noise
Copyright activists
KLF: What the fuck is going on?: The Queen and I 1987
DJ Danger Mouse: Grey Album || Beatles' White Album + Jay-Z Black Album 2004
Girl Talk: Hands in the Air | 